The UK Government is set to proscribe two neo-Nazi groups in the form of the Maniacs Murder Club and the Russian Imperial Movement, alongside Palestine Action, calling into question the motives of the UK’s leadership.
By proscribing all three at the same time, the Government risks ‘misusing’ terrorism laws against Palestine Action if authorities press ahead with proscribing them as a terrorist group, United Nations experts warned.
Palestine Action, a group “committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime,” has been banded together with two other organisations that Parliament will vote on proscribing as terrorist organisations this week.
If the vote passes, Palestine Action, the Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement will be banned, and people showing support for such organisations may face considerable prison time.
It’s understood that the groups won’t be proscribed independently, meaning the fate of Palestine Action has been inexorably linked to that of the neo-Nazi Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement.
“She’s done this deliberately to try and ensure the vote is successful,” a post by the campaign group said in reference to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s proscription efforts.
Experts at the United Nations have also voiced concern, saying: “We are concerned at the unjustified labelling of a political protest movement as ‘terrorist’.”
“According to international standards, acts of protest that damage property, but are not intended to kill or injure people, should not be treated as terrorism.”
Meanwhile, Cooper maintained: “Maniacs Murder Cult, Palestine Action and the Russian Imperial Movement have each passed the threshold for proscription based on clear national security evidence and assessments.”
Palestine Action targets companies and organisations that enable Israel’s onslaught, and wants to “make it impossible for these companies to profit from the oppression of Palestinians.” They have used protest and non-violent disruptive tactics that have led to arrests while raising awareness of their goals.
A branch of Allianz Insurance commercial offices in Gracechurch Street, London, after Palestine Action threw red paint over the outside of the building (Lucy North/PA)
PA Wire
So, who are the two other groups that Cooper wants to ban alongside them?
What is the Maniacs Murder Cult?
The Maniacs Murder Cult is a violent and extreme neo-Nazi group that predominantly operates in the eastern and western Europe.
According to the Global Network on Extremism & Technology, they first formed around 2017 and are run mainly by two young far-right extremists (one of whom goes by the name Commander Butcher) who use shady channels to communicate with members.
The group go by the abbreviations “MKY,” “MKU,” and “MMC” and “instructs would-be members to participate in various degrees of offline criminality, including assault, murder, and terrorism to maintain their membership.”
The network claims the group doesn’t seem to have any clear goals other than simply spreading disorder and chaos.
The gang of skinheads has been tied to various violent hate crimes, as well as a shocking plot to poison Jewish children and minorities in New York while dressed as Santa Claus.
According to the UK Gov: “Proscription will help deter individuals from engaging with MMC’s violent and misanthropic content. Further supporting social media platforms to remove MMC content and the Police in their efforts to respond to individuals found in possession of such material.”
What is the Russian Imperial Movement?
The Russian Imperial Movement RIM is another white supremacist militant group that operates primarily within Russia and is seemingly attempting to create a new empire.
The US Treasury Department labelled the organisation an “ethnically motivated violent extremist group” that has been branded a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organisation since 2020.
It’s fought alongside Russian soldiers during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine in an attempt to further its own ideological goals.
According to the US government, RIM gives people paramilitary-style training and previously encouraged radicalised members to carry out terrorist attacks in Sweden, bombing a cafe, a migrant centre, as well as further attempted attacks on a campsite used to house refugees.
“This group has innocent blood on its hands,” the US State Department said.
The UK gov said: “Proscribing RIM will continue the steadfast support of Ukraine in its resistance to Russian aggression and demonstrate the UK’s commitment to countering future threats from Extreme Right-Wing Terrorists.”